Prince of the Layer
by Aishuu
Summary: Before Misaki, there was Mihara Oujirou. In a world where almost all Deuses are female, Oujirou shoots to fame as the master of Angelic Layer for reasons known only to himself... chapter three posted.
1. Prologue

Aishuu Offers:  
Prince of the Layer  
Mbsilvana@yahoo.com  
Disclaimer: Oujirou is CLAMP's... dammit. Though I'll trade them my three brothers for him... and throw in two dogs to sweeten the deal.  
Note: Decided to send out the prologue as a teaser to defy the spammers. This is my fic for the "Obscurely CLAMP" challenge... figured I should get the ball rolling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
Prologue  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mihara Oujirou stood in the observation booth with his brother, watching the end battle of the First Angelic Layer National Competition. The thirteen-year-old observed proudly with glowing eyes as Athena stood victorious over her opponent. "It was perfect," he whispered, smiling in rapt fascination.  
  
"No, it wasn't," his brother said.   
  
Oujirou's fists clenched at the implied insulted to Shuuko, but then he looked over at Ichirou, and noticed the genuine unhappiness there. "What's wrong?" he asked, forcing himiself to keep his eyes away from the screen.   
  
"We didn't get enough data," he said. "Not nearly enough balanced data."   
  
"Huh?" Oujirou knew that contestants had entered from all over Japan, and there had been thousands of them. The Angelic Layer Corporation was carefully recording the neural action of all of them as they fought, hoping to use the data in their research to create artificial limbs.  
  
"We need young people, and we're getting them," Ichirou whispered. "Young, flexible minds that are able to grasp the way to move the dolls. But the sample is contaminated. For every ten girls, we have one guy, and none of them are anywhere near as devoted as their female counterparts."  
  
Oujirou studied him, understanding the problem. "How much more data do we need?"  
  
"At this rate, even if we factor in the inevitable popularity increase of next year's tournament, it will take ten years before we have enough," Ichirou said, studying the screens where a happy "Shuu" was waving at the crowd. "She'll wait that long... but by then, her daughter will be grown. I don't want to do that to her."  
  
"You have my data," Oujirou said softly. "Is that any good?"  
  
"Aside from hers, it's the best. But you're only one. The male and female minds work differently, and everyone is unique. We need a diverse sampling if we're to design the perfect artificial legs..." Ichirou answered. "And I don't want her to have anything less than the best."  
  
The teenager studied the screen, feeling the bitter triumph of the moment. To come this far, and still be so far away from their real goal. "It's not fair," he said bitterly.  
  
"No, it's not. But I've done what I can to market for both genders, and there's simply nothing else I can do. Angelic Layer is viewed as a girl's game..."  
  
Oujirou stared, his fists so tight that his fingernails were starting to dig into the tender flesh of his palms. There had to be something that could be done... but what?  
  
END PROLOGUE  
  
Note: I noticed Oujirou didn't compete in the first tournament... he'd have made it to the finals, being the most experienced player, aside from Shuuko. So... what changed?  
  
This should be done by the challenge deadline of Jan. 31, 2003. I'm just going to concentrate on a few other things first. ^_^  
  
====  
I'm gonna become sunshine   
And kiss everything in sight.  
You could be a star in the night  
Just use your imagination.  
Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/  
Fanfiction: http://www.midnightrevolution.org/quicksilver/  
Sainan no Kekka: http://www.midnightrevolution.org/gundam/ 


	2. Birth

Aishuu Offers  
Prince of the Layer  
~ An Angelic Layer Prelude Fanfiction ~  
Disclaimer: All Hail CLAMP!! All Hail CLAMP!  
Part of the "Obscurely CLAMP" challenge!  
Dedication: To two writers who inspire me in their own unique ways: Gabi-hime, whose Angelic Layer fanfics really set the standards and fascinate me, and Miyamoto Yui, whose persistence and sheer versatility never ceases to amaze and goad me into taking action of my own.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Chapter One: Birth  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Mihara Oujirou was a popular student, in a quiet sort of way. The girls liked him and the boys respected him, though no one was a close friend. There was something about him that was aloof, and though his soft smiles were readily available, no one in his school ever saw the impish side to his personality that would later drive his future girlfriend to blushes whenever he started to tease her.  
  
He was still thinking about his older brother's concerns nine months later when he overheard a small argument break out among his classmates. As a final year middle school student, he had been elected class representative, so it was his job to sort out the scuffle before it required more serious attention. Oujirou set down the English book he had been studying from, and turned his sharp blue eyes to the center of the classroom, where half the girls in the classroom had aligned against half the boys. Oh no, he thought. It's the battle of the sexes. These were always his least favorite messes to sort out.  
  
"It's not fair for Hiroshi to enter the tournament!" one of the girls was saying, her hands on her hips as she leaned forward, glaring at the boys. "Angelic Layer was designed for girls, and he shouldn't invade our fun!" she was saying.  
  
"But the prizes they're offering are too good to pass up!" the boy argued. "It's open to everyone."  
  
One girl, Himeya Kazeni snorted, tossing her head. Her long black braids went flying, and Oujirou watched as she advanced on her prey. "It's something for girls... besides, guys never win!" she said.  
  
The girls applauded her, and Oujirou winced. This attitude was not a good thing, especially from Himeya. Himeya was a ranking player, and what she said carried a lot of weight. Time to nip this in the bud, he thought. He rose to his feet and made his way over, carefully positioning himself between groups. "I think it's just because guys haven't really made the effort yet; when the Angelic Layer line came out, it was targeting for a female audience, true. But on the Layer, nothing matters but the fight."  
  
Everyone turned to face him, surprised that he'd spoken up. His reputation for quiet wisdom was such that he rarely involved himself in squabbles unless they were about to disrupt the harmony of the class; this one was relatively minor. "What do you know? I've never seen you in a tournament!" Himeya challenged.  
  
"Never entered one," Oujirou murmured. "Never saw competitive gaming as the way to go." Though I wonder... if I did it, would others follow me? Would guys start to enter the world of the Layer, after seeing another male win?  
  
She sniffed. "Well, then, be quiet, Mihara-kun. Boys don't belong on the Layer!" She turned her attention back to Hiroshi, clearly meaning to extract some kind of promise to keep him from playing.  
  
Oujirou sighed a bit inside his head. Being known for being restrained made people automatically assume he was docile. "No, Himeya-san. I won't. You're discriminating. It doesn't matter if you're discriminating against a guy, it's still discrimination," he insisted. How many times does this scene repeat itself across the country? he wondered. How many guys are scared out of playing by girls, since it's a "girl's game?" The thought of Shuuko, patiently waiting for the data they needed to build her artificial legs, spurred him on.  
  
Himeya twisted back around, and her eyes flashed a bit in surprise, but more with anger. "Mihara-kun, you're acting weird. I always thought you were nice, but..." she said, and her pretty face twisted with dislike.  
  
"How about you challenge him?" another voice said, and a blonde girl emerged from the crowd. "Seems a fair way to settle it."  
  
The two blinked at the prettiest girl in class, and incidentally Himeya's best friend. Suzuki Azami gave them a vapid smile, and she clenched her hands eagerly. "Tomorrow is Sunday, so we have the full day off; Mihara-kun can get what he needs tonight, if he doesn't have an angel."  
  
Himeya smiled like a cat about to pounce onto a full dish of cream. "Fine. Tomorrow, one o'clock, at the Piffle Princess. You willing to fight for what you believe?" she asked.  
  
Oujirou felt something swell up inside him. She had challenged him because she was sure could totally destroy him; she had made it to last year's Kansai quarterfinals... but he was the second most experience Angelic Layer player there was, not that anyone knew that. He gave her a smile, feeling the mischievous side of his personality well up. Oh, this was going to be fun...  
  
"Sure. I'll be there," he said, giving her a sweet smile that believed the wicked laughter he wanted to indulge in.  
  
Around them, the class was silent.  
  
*  
  
He could call his brother, and have one of the new prototypes delivered to him, but that really wouldn't be fair. I should use the same equipment everyone has available, he decided. I need to do this on my own.  
  
He sighed a bit, shoving his hands in his pockets as he headed to the Kobe branch of the Piffle Princess.  
  
This really wasn't what he wanted to do, but hearing the same attitudes that were barring his brother's work and preventing Shuuko from getting what she so desperately needed had inflamed something inside of him. His temper, which rarely was seen, had came out with a vengeance, getting him in over his head. He hated making a spectacle of himself, and being the center of attention was the last place he wanted to be.  
  
So I have a day to design a doll and beat a girl who managed to make it to the Kansai semi-finals... simple. He laughed a bit as he opened the door and immediately went to the Angelic Layer display. "Oh, man," he muttered.  
  
"Hello, Mihara-kun!" a cheerful voice said from his side. "Buying your stuff? There's no way you're going to win, so you might as well back out," Suzuki Azami continued. "Save yourself a bit of money... you could even take me on a date with it..."  
  
He gave her a patient smile. "Even if I don't win, I'll make my point," he said softly, scanning the merchandise. He had to give his brother credit; he had hired some wonderfully talented marketing managers. The wide selection of accessories and dolls was almost dizzying, and he would wager that his brother was getting steadily richer. Even if the research failed, Mihara Ichirou would be a very wealthy man before all was said and done.  
  
"Which is?" Suzuki asked, peeking at his serious face. Her golden curls framed her brown eyes attractively, and he knew that she was going to start flirting with him again.  
  
"That the world of the Layer is for everyone," he said softly. "It doesn't matter who the Deus is when the fight begins. All that matters is the fight." He walked over to the starter kits, and started to examine the newest ones, which his brother had him help test, as he always had done before. He and Shuuko always tested the prototypes together before they were released. The three latest series were pretty good, but he preferred the Angelic Dance line; they were sensitive to the Deus... hard for a beginner to control, but for an experienced Deus, they were without peer.  
  
He reached out for the female angels starter kit, since ninety-five percent of angels were female, but paused after a moment's thought. We're going to be together for a while, and I can't tell a woman everything, he thought, and he found himself grabbing one of the rare male kits without thinking. "I think this will do," he said.  
  
Suzuki watched him as he started to look through the clothing materials thoughtfully. "Are you sure you want that model? I'd go with the Angelic Fight model... it's a bit easier to control..."  
  
"No, this will work," Oujirou said, watching her and she twisted a stray bit of hair between her fingers. He picked up a maintenance package, trying not to get too frustrated at the materials for the clothes. Really, I should tell niisan that some clothes should be pre-designed... I can't sew to save my life... He picked out a large array of blue materials, figuring they would all match, and decided to ask his mother to help. She'd probably make him trade a few chores, but it'd be worth it.  
  
"Are you getting any accessories?" Suzuki wanted to know.  
  
"No. The regulation layers don't allow them, so I had better not learn to depend on them, either," he said.  
  
"You... plan on playing again? After Kazeni plays you?"  
  
He laughed. "Well, it'd be stupid of me to but all this for just one match, wouldn't it?" he asked. Oujirou headed over to the counter and paid, wincing a bit at the total. Suzuki trailed him, batting her long lashes and chattering aimlessly, giving him advice, most of which was wrong or useless. He knew that some of the technology was expensive, but he mentally added another 0 to the end of what he had estimated his brother's income was. Niisan... you are going to pay me back for this. Somehow.  
  
When they reached the door, he bowed to her. "Now that you've seen what I've bought, be sure to accurately report it to Himeya-san. I know what Tigra is capable of, so I figured it was only fair she knows what I had to work with."  
  
Suzuki looked at him, her mouth a bit slack, before she started to laugh. Her expression gained about two degrees of intelligence. "Oh, you!" she said as she straightened her hair, and a playful grin came to her lips. "Well, they say it's always the quiet ones! Mihara-kun, you are quite interesting." She spun around and started to walk away. When she had made it about ten feet, she looked over her shoulder and winked. "You're so mysterious! Now I really am interested in you!"  
  
Oujirou watched her go, wondering. It would be the first of many times that women would confound him utterly.   
  
*  
  
He looked at the bathtub a bit dubiously. Opening the egg in the water was another thing that his niisan had designed into the angels, but it made it embarrassing for a guy. Guys did not want to take a bath with a doll. "Niisan, you are so out of touch with the real world," he muttered. Still, it needed to be done, and while he could just dunk it into the sink and do it that way, he understood that this was part of the bonding process between Deus and Angel.  
  
"Here goes," Oujirou mutter, grabbing the egg, and getting into the tub. "I feel ridiculous." The egg cracked, and the small shape that would become the core of his Angel fell into his hands.  
  
Oujirou studied it. He knew more about its design than almost anyone except his brother and a few selection members of the corporation, but there was something almost magically about watching its birth. This doll would become something special; he would mold it into one of the best angels on the Layer. He would take it all the way to the Championship, to show Shuuko and his niisan how much he loved the both of them. "Hello," he whispered to it, allowing the egg it had come from to float away on the water so he could cradle it in his both hands. "We have a long way to go together."  
  
The doll's skeleton was as of yet unshaped, but Oujirou felt a surprising love for it, knowing that this time, it would be all him in control of this angel, rather than a prototype he would hand off as a success or failure. Is this why people love Angelic Layer so fiercely? he wondered. I want it for Shuuko and niisan... but maybe I can find something for myself there.  
  
It was a disturbing and strangely tantalizing thought for one who had always sought company so much older than he was. He was so much more mature than his age group, but on the Layer.. who knew who he would meet.  
  
Half an hour later found Oujirou at his desk, thoughtfully fiddling with various combinations of point distribution and other design schematics. He wanted a doll that was fast, but he needed strength as well. He needed...  
  
A knock sounded on the door. "Ou-chan? I brought you a snack," his mother called.  
  
"Come in," he said, and the door cracked. The older woman entered, carrying a tray with two tall glasses of milk with a platter heaped with homemade cookies.  
  
He smiled at her, unable to stop himself. She had the same blue eyes he did, but her long hair was a deeper black, lacking the blue highlights people found so fascinating about his own. She had a young face, and was constantly busy with her life and successful at almost anything she undertook, but the one thing she couldn't do was cook. He eyed the cookies on the tray a bit suspiciously. "Were you in a baking mood today?"  
  
"Your grandmother sent them over. They're safe," she assured him, grabbing an oatmeal raisin cookie and one of the glasses and settling down on his bed. She looked at his project curiously. "Did your brother ask you to test something new for him?"  
  
He shook his head in the negative. "I got challenged by a girl in my class who said that guys don't belong on the Layer, so I needed to make an angel of my own."  
  
His mother burst out laughing. "That poor girl has no idea what she's getting into, does she?"  
  
"She made it to the Kansai quarterfinals last time, so she's pretty good. And I have no official Angelic Layer record, so..."  
  
"Mihara Oujirou!" his mother said sternly, before ruining it by cracking up again. "Why are you bothering? You hate confrontation. Usually you're so laid back that you'd talk your way out of this..."  
  
He considered another spec combination before discarding them, then turned and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie. Chocolate was a personal addiction of his. "Niisan is having problems getting data on male players..." he said softly. "Someone needs to shatter the stereotype of female-only players being superior."  
  
His mother's expression softened. "Have you told him what you intend to do? I'm sure he could help you, get you some-"  
  
"No," he said firmly. "And you'd better not tell him, either," he said, wagging a finger in her face. "I need to do this on my own. I don't want anyone to say that my brother eased my way." He sighed as another spec combination didn't work out the way he wanted it to. "I wish I knew how to spread the points, though. I could make a speed type, like Athena, but that's not my style. I want an angel that reflects myself."  
  
"Then make it like Oujirou," his mother suggested. "Strong and fast, who doesn't really on weight." She smiled at him. "You should balance your strength and speed... but remember, when Oujirou does something, Oujirou does it by thinking."  
  
Oujirou blinked at her. "I've never seen an angel that does that, but..." He typed in the specs, one that had strength and speed, but little weight. The dynamics of it were odd, and it would require skill to control, a sharp and ready mind, but Oujirou knew he could handle it. The angel would be agile and swift, but able to back up its attacks with force. However, controlling it... with a smile, he hit the accept key.   
  
"Angel name..." He stared at the flashing cursor for a second, trying to imagine something that he'd be able to live with. The girls all got so fanciful, but he was, as everyone repeatedly told him, practical. "I have no clue." He turned pleading eyes on his mother.  
  
She merely grabbed another cookie, and raised an eyebrow in challenge.  
  
"Traitor," he muttered. Well, what was he going to do? His eyes skating through the room, trying to find something that would work. Pen, manga, book, pictures, wand... His eyes fixated on the wand, one of the few remnants of his childhood he had kept. He hurriedly entered the katakana that spelled out the name, and smiled as the completion noticed flashed.   
  
"Hello, Wizard."  
  
*  
  
His mother had made Wizard's outfit for him, making him agree to cook dinner for a week in exchange. When she gave him the clothes, though, he knew it had been a good deal, for the clothing was simply perfect, stylish yet suitable for fighting. They suited Wizard's shocking ice-blue hair wonderfully.   
  
He left before nine a.m. to the Piffle Princess to rent one of the private rooms. They weren't cheap, but he figured that he could always ask his niisan for a reimbursement if he got pinched for funds; not that it was likely, since Oujirou tended to save all his money and had a nice stash built up. He wanted a private session with his angel to understand the doll's quirks, since Wizard's schematics were quite unique.  
  
Only the most obsessive players were out before noon on a Sunday, so Oujirou was able to get the room without a problem. The private rooms allowed players to make mistakes with no audience, and the high level players liked to use them to try new moves in secret. No one knew him as Mihara Ichirou's younger brother, which was a relief. He sighed a bit as he put on the visor, finding it a bit different than the testing models they used in the labs. The wings of the side of the headset were annoying. Still, he flicked it on, and the Layer came into focus.  
  
"Okay, Wizard. Let's do your first entrance." He sat the doll on his wrist and tossed it, never having actually done an entry before.  
  
It was embarrassing. Wizard wobbled in the air before hitting the Layer's field. His eyes came open under his own visor, and he spun through the air sleepily, coming around to face Oujirou. The angel seemed so intent on his flight that he forgot about landing. Only at the last minute did Wizard remember, and Oujirou winced in sympathy as Wizard landed on his knees.  
  
"Oops. Let's try that again." He scooped the angel off the Layer and practiced again, doing about ten Entry Angels before coming up with one that was satisfactory. Wizard drifted down slowly, his face serene as he touched down, his hand touching the ground between his feet before he straightened, surveying the Layer majestically. "I think we have that. Now how about some practice," Oujirou said, starting out by having Wizard do a cartwheel.  
  
Wizard responded instantly, and Oujirou smiled. "You're wonderful," he complimented the angel. "Now how about a few more?" he asked, leading the angel into more and more complex gymnastics, then through some basics katas he and Shuuko always used before turning on some music to work on his timing. The time flew as he and his angel learned about each other. Wizard was quick and strong, and would require careful handling, but if he treated him right, then Wizard would do whatever he asked.  
  
Finally the clock read five minutes of one, and he realized that Himeya Kazeni would be there for their match. He hoped she had gotten the Layer, because he had forgotten. He blushed a bit as grabbed Wizard. It wasn't his nature to leave things up for chance. The private room wouldn't be large enough for the audience Himeya would gather, because she was one of the top players in the area.  
  
As he left the room, he noticed the press of people around. Even for a Sunday, it was crowded. There were many girls there, but the number of guys was surprising as well. The snatches of conversation he overheard explained it, and he forced himself to take a deep breath to calm himself.  
  
"Tigra is fighting..."  
  
"...challenged a guy to keep the Layer..."  
  
"...may be dumb, but he's cute..."  
  
"....wonder if he'll run away?"  
  
Oujirou forced the pleasant smile that people associated with him to his face as he waded through the crowd, keeping Wizard safely in his bag. Finally his eye landed on Suzuki, who seemed to be looking around for someone. "Excuse me, Suzuki-san, but is Himeya-san around?" he asked.  
  
The blonde's eyes widened and she darted through the people, grabbing his hand. "THERE you are, Mihara-kun!" she announced loudly.  
  
All conversation in their immediate vicinity stopped and Oujirou felt a hundred pairs of eyes turn to focus on him. He forced himself to remain serene. "Is she getting the Layer? I'm afraid I forgot to, and neither of us mentioned those particular arrangements..." he said, pretending that no one was listening except for Suzuki.  
  
Suzuki looked a bit apprehension. "Um, actually, she's getting you two paired for the next tournament. You're slated to begin in five minutes. This will go on your official record. I'm sorry, she's really angry and wants to bring you down quite spectacularly. You really don't deserve to be the target of her vendetta against the male gender. You're so nice-"  
  
Oujirou gave Suzuki a soft smile. "It's okay. I can handle myself."  
  
She bit her lower lip. "I-"  
  
"How about we get going? I need to get there or else I'll forfeit by not showing." He nodded and started for the tournament table, knowing that Suzuki really didn't bear him any ill will. It was sweet of her to be so concerned.  
  
The tournament area was packed, and he knew that most people were there to see Tigra destroy him. He saw members of his class, and some of the boys gave him encouraging cheers, but the girls glared at him for daring to enter their turf. The empty challenger's chair challenged him subtly, so Oujirou smoothly walked over to it, knowing that it was showtime.  
  
The announcer, a pretty woman in her twenties, came over to him as he started to survey his equipment. "I need your name and the name of your angel," she said. "And I wanted to tell you that you're one of the bravest guys I've met - or one of the stupidest. Taking Tigra on as your first match..." She shook her head.  
  
"Mihara Oujirou, Angel Wizard," he said. He noticed her eyes widening a bit at his name, and winked. "Maybe I'm not the one who's going to learn the lesson, no?" he asked with amusement.  
  
She looked at his face, and gave him a small grin. "You don't look much like your brother."  
  
"Stepbrothers," he murmured. "Keep it quiet; I'm here on my own. I'm not involved in niisan's work officially, so I'm not breaking any of the rules."  
  
She winked right back at him. "I won't. But I'm not going to call you a rookie. I bet you've been playing longer than anyone here."  
  
"Wizard is the rookie. I just designed him last night." Oujirou replied, finding the announcer interesting. She was smart to recognize his name and make the connection right away.  
  
"Well, I won't wish you luck. I think Tigra is the one who'll need it," she replied. She stepped back, allowing him to extract Wizard from his traveling case.  
  
Oujirou noticed many people examining the male angel, and heard disparaging comments about chauvinism and how female angels fought better; patently untrue, since angel gender had nothing to do with performance. He slid the goggles on and sat Wizard on his wrist before looking across the Layer at Himeya, who was talking to Tigra.  
  
Tigra was a cat-girl angel, designed with tiger striped clothing and orange and black hair that fell to her waist. Oujirou had examined her specs and found her to be quite powerful, but she had two primary flaws. One was that she relied on the Tiger's Pounce, her finishing attack too much, something that many higher-level angels fell into the pattern of doing. The other was more subtle, but Oujirou intending on exploiting it. She tended to pause between her attacks, because while she had good speed for short distance, her speed for long stretches wouldn't hold. Her stamina, quite frankly, was poor. Small weaknesses, and on lower-level play they wouldn't be discernable, but Oujirou was about to show her that he wasn't the cat's toy.  
  
Himeya looked up at him. "Still time to back out, Mihara-kun. You're a nice guy, but I can't figure out why you got it into your head to become the guy's advocate on this."  
  
"Because on the Layer, it doesn't matter who you are... all that matters is the fight. So far the female Deuses have been doing better, but that doesn't mean the male Deuses can't win."  
  
Her black eyes flashed and she grabbed her headset, and clicked it on. The wings on either side flared. "It's for girls!"  
  
He sighed. "Well, let our angels show what guys and girls can do, won't we?" he asked, turning his head to the announcer and tapping the button that turned his headset to triggered his connection to the Layer. "Shall we begin?"  
  
"In the East corner, Mihara Oujirou, Angel Wizard!"  
  
He smiled a bit, knowing that this was time to stage on. He looked at Wizard and smiled slightly. "Work your magic, Wizard," he said clearly. He hated flashy and flamboyant entry phrases, but he knew style was a large part of Angelic Layer. "Angel, fall in!" he called, flicking his wrist, sending Wizard flying into the Layer.  
  
Wizard came down just as he had the final times of practice, majestic and imposing. His fingertips brushed the Layer's floor before he rose, opening his eyes to survey the fighting arena. Oujirou tuned the whispers out, and focused on Himeya, who glared even harder.   
  
"Just because you can do an entry doesn't mean anything! Tigra, it's time for the cat to play!" she announced, throwing her angel in. Tigra soared as well, but as soon as she hit the field, her expression came to life, and she came crashing down, a feral expression on her face. She looked ready to tear Wizard to shreds.  
  
"Angelic Fight!" the announcer said, and Tigra sprung into motion.  
  
Oujirou watched as Tigra raced towards Wizard. The cat-like angel moved low to the ground, and her hands were poised to grab his waist. He had Wizard wait until the last second, then instead of meeting the attack, simply sidestepped.  
  
"And Wizard avoids Tigra's attack!" the announcer exclaimed.  
  
The audience whispered, as Tigra stumbled, not expecting such a simple evasion. Most new players tried to fight, not evade. "Well... I'll need to do something different, won't I?" Himeya said, and Tigra did a backwalkover, spinning around to face Wizard.  
  
Wizard watched, unimpressed. Tigra fell into a crouch, then began the whirling cartwheel, one of the basic Layer moves that was hard to carry through. If it struck, it would deal some heavy damage points to Wizard... if not, then the time wasted carrying it out would cost her.  
  
"Tigra launches into the Whirling Cartwheel, one of the Layer's most damaging attacks! What will Wizard do?" The announcer's voice rose over the crowd's murmurs of admiration for Tigra's form.  
  
Oujirou smiled a bit. He and Shuuko had developed a counter to it. He waited until Tigra was a twist and a half away, and unable to pull out before having Wizard lean over backwards into a handstand. Again he could hear the crowd murmuring, but he threw Wizard's feet forward, timing it so it hit Tigra directly in the stomach. The force he applied wasn't that much, but her own momentum sent her spinning the other way, and precariously close to the Layer's edge. Wizard came to his feet, just as serene and icy as ever, waiting for Tigra to come to her feet, rather than pressing the attack.  
  
"Tigra loses a third of her points! Wizard counters the Whirling Cartwheel with... well, I've never seen it before! We'll need to name it, won't we?" the announcer said.  
  
"It's called the Trance Breaker..." Oujirou said. He looked across the Layer at Himeya, who was staring at him in amazement. "And maybe it's broken your trance... are you ready to take me seriously now?"  
  
The crowd was staring at him in quiet awe. He was sitting with perfect confidence, a slight smile dancing on his lips after sending one of the most powerful angels flying.  
  
"Luck..." she whispered, bringing a wincing Tigra to her feet.   
  
"Is it? Well, I guess Wizard and I should get back to work, then." He placed his arms on the chair, glanced at Tigra's position, and leapt.  
  
Due to Wizard's light bodyweight, he moved so quickly it seemed as though he was flying, though he didn't have the wings that Shuuko somehow managed to command for Athena. Tigra stared up for a second before jumping as well, trying to wrap a hand around his neck. He avoided her, bringing a foot up and chopping her in the head. Had he angled it a bit more sharply, it would have thrust her from the Layer, but he wasn't done yet.  
  
"Tigra falls to the ground! This has been all about Wizard! Can Tigra get her strength back and defeat the challenger?"  
  
The battle was thrilling, and he didn't want it to end so easily, not before he truly began to press an attack. Wizard glided down to Tigra's side, and he waited for her to rise, and she swung a fast punch, which he dodged.   
  
"Tigra launches a series of close-range attacks! Wizard avoids them easily!"  
  
The slight pause he had noticed in her fighting was there, he noticed as she launched her second attack, which he evaded just as easily. "You know, Himeya-san," he said conversationally as Wizard ducked a kick, "you're pretty good. But you have two major weaknesses."  
  
Her eyes widened in horror as he kept avoiding her attempted to hit Wizard. "One is... that you have little defense. You leave yourself open after each attack." He finally took and opening and kicked her in the chin. "Like so." Then he flipped away, knowing that he had just goaded her into highlighting her second weakness.  
  
"Wizard lands an attack before retreating! With two minutes left, Tigra has to make a recovery or lose by point count!"  
  
Sweat beaded on her forehead. "I... I..."   
  
Tigra fell to all fours before raising her hindquarters like a sprinter in the starting blocks. The angel leapt into the air, her hands extended like claws and Oujirou sighed. "Your other fault is you rely too much on your finishing move." He said, and everyone watched as Wizard, instead of evading, caught Tigra in his arms and did a rolling throw, sending her near the edge.   
  
"Tigra launches into the Tiger's Pounce, but is defeated by Wizard's throw. Most people try to evade it, and get hit by the second stage, or fight it, and get hit, but I've never seen anyone throw it..." The announcer sounded impressed.  
  
The feline angel wobbled, but Oujirou decided to end it. He sent Wizard over to Tigra, and Tigra's eyes widened in horror as the blue angel simply shoved her off the edge of the Layer.   
  
"Angel Out! Wizard Wins!" The announcer said.   
  
There was dead silence as Oujirou removed his visor, and went to retrieve Wizard. Tigra lay on the floor where she had fallen, and he scooped her up as well, bringing her over to the shocked Himeya. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.  
  
The girl looked up at the concerned eyes of her classmate, amazed. She had expected gloating triumph, but then she had forgotten that Oujirou tended towards shyness, and was one of the gentlest guys in school. "How?" she whispered. "You didn't even lose any points!"  
  
He smiled and knelt down beside her, handing her Tigra. "I studied you and Tigra, of course, so I knew your weaknesses. Your main mistake was underestimating me. Just because I haven't played any tournaments doesn't mean I don't know how the game works."   
  
She took the doll, stroking Tigra's hair gently. "Maybe I should quit."  
  
He looked at her in horror. He hadn't intended to make her quit! "No! I plan on entering the Kobe tournament, and it'd be nice to see at least one face I know!" he said. "Besides.. I pointed out your weaknesses, so now you can work on them, right?"  
  
She nodded. "But I was so mean to you about..."  
  
"On the Layer, it doesn't matter who we are. All that matters is the fight," he said. "And now that you know... well, you'll treat everyone more fairly, right?"  
  
Himeya smiled. "I will. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's fine. You goaded me into doing something I should have done a while ago... so we both learned from it, no?" he asked. "Anyway, I needed to get going. I have to make dinner tonight." He made a face, and rose to his feet. "See you in class tomorrow!" he called, waving to her.  
  
The crowd parted before him, staring at him with respect. He listened to the conversation, smiling as he caught snatches, so different from it had been when he had entered.  
  
"...so cute, and so nice!"  
  
"...can do it, maybe I should start playing competitively."  
  
"...that move of his was so neat!"  
  
"...Kobe! I'm going to go cheer..."  
  
Back at the table, Suzuki Azami helped her best friend pack up. "He was really nice, wasn't he?"  
  
Himeya Kazeni nodded. "I was so surprised. We're going to go to Kobe together. I wonder if we'll play each other."  
  
Azami looked troubled. "That'd be a problem. I'd have no clue who to cheer for!"  
  
Kazeni gave her friend a smile. "Do you know, I might just have the same problem? Thing is, if I fight him there, I think he'd win, no matter how much better I got. He wasn't fighting with everything he had today," she told the blond.  
  
"What?" Azami asked. "He totally blew you out of the water, and he wasn't fighting with everything?"  
  
"Mihara-kun was only trying to teach me a lesson. Had he really been fighting, I wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds. But he's such a gentleman that he didn't embarrass me that badly," Kazeni said, and her eyes were soft. "He gave me a chance."  
  
"He was like a prince out of a storybook..." Azami mused.   
  
END PART ONE  
  
Notes: This was supposed to be... 2,000 words. 3,000 words, TOPS, for a section. After I broke 5,000, I started to have doubts whether I'd finish in time for the Obscurely CLAMP challenge, since there's four parts slated (with a possible epilogue!). And ONLY four parts! REALLY! But I'm going to try to get as much done as possible before Jan. 31, and then just keep releasing - there's no sense in rushing if that means the piece suffers, is there?  
  
I'm following the timeline laid out in the AL anime subs I have. It states Misaki enters the FOURTH tournament, the Shuu had won THREE, and that Oujirou is entering his THIRD. So... here's how it works:  
  
Prince of the Layer is set in Oujirou's last middle school year, equivalent to the US's ninth grade (That would be when he's 14/15). The Angelic Layer tournaments began in the prologue, which was set in his second year. I've seen some other interpretations, and they're probably right, but this is my story, and for the purposes of the fic, I'm sticking to it.  
  
Oujirou lives in Kobe, so he would first go to the Kobe match, then to Kansai, then to the Championship. Since we all know how good he is, I assume since he's playing his third when he plays Misaki (when he's 17), he's been defeated by Shuuko twice in the finals.  
  
Wizard's name would most likely be spelled in katakana when entered into the computer - it's how the Japanese spell foreign words.  
  
In episode 23, we do see Oujirou wearing a winged headset in the lab as a child, but usually Shuu doesn't. I'm going to assume for testing purposes, they use more sensitive headsets to get more complete readings.  
  
Thanks to Bejiin for answering my katakana question (and saving me from the hiragana- I always get the two confused!), Lyra from editing, being my Girl Friday by uploading, grabbing Oujirou's stats when I couldn't get my comp to cooperate and in general being the best imouto I could wish for.  
  
Feedback is the motivator and prioritizer. 


	3. Mentor

Aishuu Offers:  
Prince of the Layer  
~ An Angelic Layer Prelude Fanfiction ~  
mbsilvana@yahoo.com  
Disclaimer: CLAMP is Queen. ^_~ I just want to play, really.  
Part of the "Obscurely CLAMP" challenge!  
Dedication: For Lyra, who loves Oujirou just as much as I do.... And unfortunately claimed dibs, darn it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Chapter 2: Mentor  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Applying for the Angelic Layer card was chancy business, especially since he didn't want his brother to know that he was getting into the competitive aspect of the Layer. So he simply did what his brother would have in his place: he threatened Ogata. It was amazingly easy to do, and Oujirou was amazed to discover the wicked streak he had buried underneath his customary shyness.  
  
Two weeks after a carefully applied threat, his card arrived, along with a note from Ogata that yes, he WOULD try to keep Mihara-kachou out of loop, but if Oujirou slipped up, it wasn't his fault, so would he PLEASE destroy those negatives?  
  
Oujirou laughed so hard from that note that he had tears in his eyes. He stored it in his desk drawer, deciding the note was precious in its own right. He had six weeks until the Kobe tournament, and he used it to practice with Wizard, perfecting the basic Layer moves and working on designing some moves that Shuuko wouldn't know. He and Shuuko had played together for so long that their styles had meshed, and it was time to start finding his own. His first match against Tigra had been lucky, since he really hadn't had to use any of his own attacks aside from the Trance Breaker, but if he tried to use more, people would inevitably compare him and Wizard to Shuu and Athena.  
  
He didn't want that. He wanted to surpass her.  
  
The next time he went to Tokyo, he was in a thoughtful mood. He watched Shuuko practice with Athena, amazed, as always, by the connection between woman and angel. He wanted to have that with Wizard. He wanted Wizard to be his other self.  
  
Athena danced as Shuuko listened to the music, and Oujirou watched. They had offered him a prototype, but he had declined, saying that he didn't think his concentration was up to it. Shuuko had raised her eyebrows, but his brother had lamented the fact that Oujirou was starting to get the "Angelic Layer is a girl's game" syndrome that was so prevalent. Oujirou had held his hands up defensively, and promised to play the next time he came.   
  
It would be weird to play with another angel but Wizard. It had only been two weeks, but Wizard was already starting to grow on him. He found himself adjusting himself automatically, and as he watching Athena move, he realized that her style was all wrong for Wizard. Athena was pure speed, but Wizard's key was his balance. Both of them were about beauty and entrancing the opponent through their superiority, but the philosophies on their creation were different.  
  
Shuuko finally ended her practice session with a satisfied sigh. Yuuko hurried to bring her a drink, which she gratefully accepted. "Ou-chan?" she asked.  
  
He looked over at her from where he was leaning against the wall. "Hmmm?"  
  
She wheeled her chair forward, careful to avoid all the wires that ran throughout the lab. "Is something bothering you?"  
  
He blinked a bit. "Not that I know of. I've just been really busy at school." A partial truth. He wanted to keep his coming entrance into the competitive Layer a secret, at least for a while. The expression on his brother's face would be worth it, and he couldn't bring himself to tell Shuuko, in case his idea failed.  
  
  
Shuuko lowered her eyes, and he saw a hint of indecision there before resolve came across her face. "You know, it's okay if you have a life outside the company. You're growing up, and we don't have a right to keep you here. You're not an employee, and we..." she trailed off.  
  
Oujirou laughed a bit as he saw her hesitance. He knew that she enjoyed his company, for she saw few people. Offering to let him go was a great sacrifice, and he appreciated her concern for him. "Shuuko-san... I love coming here. I really wish I lived closer, though, because the commute is tiring but I wouldn't stop coming if my life depended on it.." Her relieved expression filled him with warmth, and he had to push down his childhood crush firmly. "I'm just working on a project that takes a lot of my time, and I really don't have the concentration to do well on the Layer against you... and I would never give you a substandard match."  
  
Shuuko nodded. "Are you sure? Because I can talk to Icchan and..."  
  
He smiled reassuringly and took her hands, squeezing the finely-boned fingers gently to offer comfort. "I'm positive."  
  
Her answering grin was beautiful. "Okay! What's this project that has you so busy? It's not like you to get tired out by anything!"  
  
He tapped her nose playfully. "That's a secret. You'll find out in a couple of months."  
  
She pouted out him, though her eyes were shining. "I have to wait that long?"  
  
"Course! Though I might just decide to run away from home and abandon everything...." he said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Shuuko patted his arm. "Have the girls finally noticed you, Ou-chan?"  
  
Oujirou groaned, but refused to say anything.  
  
His school life had been changed by his defeat of Himeya. Oujirou had always been popular, but now he found himself one of the most sought-after boys in school, something that made him distinctly uncomfortable. He preferred solitude, but he was besieged by girls who brought him lunch, love notes in his shoebox, guys who wanted help with homework and endless questions from everyone on Angelic Layer. Everything he did was watched closely, and people were amazed that he was talented at sports, academics and unfailingly polite.  
  
Secretly, he was also annoyed. Oujirou hadn't changed a thing about himself; he had merely made the mistake of getting on stage. He wished for the previous relatively anonymity he used to enjoy, but he found that like Pandora's Box, once you opened the lid, there was no way of getting everything back inside.  
  
'I'd better get used to it,' he thought. 'I'm going to make myself into an Angelic Layer idol role model, and I know how much fan mail Shuuko gets...'  
  
"Well, I always knew that it'd happen. You're too nice not to get plenty of attention, and when you add those eyes into it..."  
  
He blushed. Shuuko was studying him intently, and he wanted a hole to open up and swallow him. "Um..."   
  
Ichirou chose that moment to return. "Why is Oujirou blushing?" he asked Shuuko.  
  
She gave him a sweet smile. "I have absolutely no idea."  
  
*  
  
  
The Kansai qualifying match was more crowded than it had been the previous year. He had chosen to enter the Kobe tournament, and he was positive he'd win it. By the time he'd finished, word about him would be out. He patted his duffle-bag gently, knowing that Wizard was inside.  
  
Many of the people there had their own friends cheering for them, but he was alone. Some of his classmates would show, as would some of the people who watched Tigra's match, but he had no real close friends who understood his motivations. Still, he walked to the entry table and smiled at the girl who was there with confidence.   
  
"Mihara Oujirou," he said. "I'm registered."  
  
"Hello, Mihara-san," she said. "Do you have your Angelic Layer card?"  
  
He handed it over, and she slid it through the machine, which immediately brought up his player data and Wizard's. "You need to go through the doors to the right, then door three corridors. The player's waiting lounge is marked quite clearly. You're ranked quite low, so I'm afraid you're going to be up against one of the top angels..." she blinked. "Though you beat Tigra?"   
  
He gave her a serene smile. "First official match. When am I up?"  
  
"Second. You fight Stormrider." She shuddered.   
  
His eyes narrowed. Stormrider had come in fourth in the Kobe tournament last time. "That's the way it is, then. Thank you," he said, bowing, before heading off.  
  
The stress level in the waiting room was almost tangible. He could feel the players' tension levels, and he saw the entrant's eyes turn towards him. Most of them were girls, but there were a scattering of boys, some of which he recognized as coming from his school. 'I did it,' he thought. 'This will work.'  
  
He took a seat and popped open a laptop, pulling up the data he had on Stormrider. Stormrider was a heavy model, probably stronger than Wizard, but definitely less agile. She had a special attack, though, called Lightning Lash, which used some kind of static shock to throw opponents from the ring. Her hits dealt a lot of damage, and throwing her out of the ring would be near impossible.  
  
'Still, she's not as good as Tigra... Tigra is higher-ranked.' He turned to it thoughtfully, trying to figure out how Wizard would fare. If Stormrider got her hands on Wizard, he'd be in trouble. So the key was to stay out of range. And if throwing her out of the ring was impossible, then it would have to be defeat through points.  
  
"Attack and run," he murmured.   
  
"Hello, Mihara-san."   
  
He looked up and saw Himeya and Suzuki standing there. Both were wearing matching dresses and he blinked a bit, wondering if he was seeing double. "Um... hi."  
  
"We wanted to wish you luck..." Himeya said. "You have a hard opponent. I haven't actually faced her - she may be better than I am."  
  
He nodded. "Well, we'll see what happens on the Layer, won't we? But thanks for your wishes. Who's your first opponent?"  
  
Himeya's eyes flashed. "A rookie, Saitou Maiya. I have no clue about her."  
  
  
He typed in the name. "She's a heavy weight. Your old tactics should work against her, unless she's changed her thinking drastically in the last week," He turned the screen around so Himeya could see the specs.  
  
"You're... helping me?" she whispered.  
  
"Why not? I wouldn't mind another match, see if you've learned anything now that you're going to take me seriously." He sighed. "I have the feeling that it'll take me two or three matches to be taken seriously."  
  
Suzuki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just remember, on the Layer, all that matter is the fight."  
  
He gave them a smile, then flinched as he heard his name called. "Um, Suzuki? Can you keep my laptop? My mother wasn't able to make it, and there's no one else here I trust not to sabotage my data."  
  
The blonde smiled prettily. "Sure. Can we browse?"  
  
"Sure. But all of Wizard's spec's are password encoded and you'll never break that."  
  
"Wouldn't want to." The two girls gather around his laptop and started to flip through different player stats as Oujirou hurried to the door, where an attendant was waiting.  
  
"Mihara Oujirou," he said, bowing.  
  
"Great. Can you grab Wizard and follow me?"  
  
"He's here," he said holding up the angel in his hand.  
  
"That's good. You'd be amazed how many first-time players forget their angels," the man said with amusement.  
  
"Jitters. Makes us act a bit weird."  
  
The man led him down the way to the arena, refreshing him on rules. Oujirou made the appropriate noises, even though he knew it backwards and forwards. "I must say it's a bit odd to have a guy of your age playing, though," he added.  
  
"Why I'm playing. Break the stereotype."  
  
The attendant grinned. "Here we are. Don't be daunted by the crowd. It'll seem fierce, and it's going to be on Stormrider's side, but you're something new and different. If you give them a good show, they'll love you for your second match. Remember, two-round elimination."  
  
"The crowd doesn't matter. It's only the Layer."  
  
"Good attitude. Now get going!" the man ordered, pushing Oujirou a bit.  
  
Oujirou walked through the arena, hearing the hushed murmurs of the audience. Stormrider's Deus hadn't appeared yet, so he had their complete attention, something he did not like. Still, he forced himself to remain serene and walk gracefully, heading to the chair. These chairs were a bit different than the ones at the Piffle Princess; they would elevate the play above the Layer, affording them a better view. He nodded to the announcer, a gaudy blond man in purple, and got ready.  
  
As the noise from the crowd rose, he assumed his opponent had arrived. He looked over at the other chair, and noticed a pretty girl wearing red. Her hair was fiercely curly, and she was too thin. He nodded to her, and she blinked at him in surprised as their seats rose. "You're really handsome!" she said in shock.  
  
  
He felt a fierce blush creep up his cheeks. "Thank you," he said softly. "You have lovely hair." Be suave, be suave...  
  
She grinned at him. "How about I take you out to dinner after I beat you?" she offered.   
  
"Um, I don't intend on losing," he said, evading the offer. He looked over at the announcer, hoping to get out of the situation.  
  
"In the East Corner, Deus Mihara Oujirou, Angel Wizard!" The MC said, waving a hand to him.  
  
The light hits Oujirou, and he tried not to squint as he held Wizard by his wait. "Work your magic, Wizard. Angel, fall in!" he called, performing his entry without the dramatics he found so overwhelming. His very lack of melodrama was statement enough, he thought as Wizard touched down. Wizard stared across the ring, waiting for Stormrider.  
  
"In the West Corner, Deus Tachi Riira, Angel Stormrider!"  
  
The girl's eyes fell away from his face, and he suddenly knew she had become serious. "Stormrider, bring lightning and fury!" she called, and tossed her angel. "Angel, fall in!" Her angel flew, and when it enter, it did a somersault before coming down quickly, poised for battle. Oujirou studied the angel. The female was as tall as Wizard, and built on curvaceous lines, but covered entirely in a sheer gray gossamer bodysuit. Over it was strategically placed red swatches, covering what would be essential, were Stormrider a real human female. Her black hair fell to her knees, but it was her red eyes which were frightening, giving the impression of a barely contained storm.  
  
"Ten minute time limit... Angelic FIGHT!" the announcer called.  
  
The last time he had remained still, but giving Stormrider the chance to get her hands on him would be asking for trouble. Wizard starting to circle the other angel, looking for an opening. She watched carefully, and he knew that his first few strikes would probably be mere tests. Still.. time was ticking.  
  
He launched a kick at her side, which she sidestepped. Stormrider made a grab for him, but he rolled aside, knowing that wasn't going to work. He came to his feet, and waited, knowing she would make a move for him.  
  
"Wizard attacks, but Stormrider dodges! Now they both seem to - Wait! Stormrider is gearing up for one of her special attacks... is it? She's starting off with the Lightning Lash, this early! She must want to finish him off quick!"  
  
"Sorry," Riira called. "You're just too fast. It's best if I deal with speed types quickly," she told him.  
  
She had brains, he gave her credit, but he had misidentified Wizard. And it would cost her. Wizard watched as Stormrider geared up for her lightning lash, seeing the electricity build in her fingertips. "Lightning Lash!" Riira exclaimed as Stormrider unleashed a static blow.  
  
Wizard anticipated it, using his powerful legs to jump straight up, one that took him to near the top of the Layer; a pure speed type wouldn't have been able to manage the jump, but Wizard could. Oujirou smiled as the untamed blast reflected back at Stormrider. The reflection wasn't as powerful as the original attack, but it still took over half of her hit points.  
  
"And Wizard avoids the Lightning Lash through an amazing jump! Stormrider is hit by her own blast!" the announcer exclaimed. The audience started to call out, but Oujirou blocked them out.  
  
"It's never a good idea to use an attack that can reflect back at you," he told her softly.  
  
  
Riira just blinked. "Well, this will just have to be done the old-fashioned way, won't it?" She gave him a cute smile. "And when I win, you're taking me out to dinner."  
  
"Um..." Was he doomed to be hit on every time he played? First Suzuki, now Tachi Riira? He glanced at the clock. Six minutes. He could draw this out, but since Stormrider was a heavy angel, it wouldn't be wise. She might manage, through some fluke, to knock Wizard out of the Layer. "I think that won't happen."  
  
He smiled at Wizard. "I think it's time to end this, don't you?"  
  
Wizard looked at him. Stormrider lunged for him, clearly trying to land a hit, but the slender angel avoided it easily. "Walk the Magic Circle, Wizard," he ordered, and he smiled as Wizard began to circle Stormrider again.  
  
"Didn't you try this before?" Riira asked.  
  
He merely smiled at her. He intended on having Wizard moving faster this time, and there was one spot where Riira was blind, most likely. Most Deuses had a blind spot, the spot right behind where there angel was standing. If he timed it right, it would seem as though Wizard came from nowhere; a simple optical illusion, but his mother had said it...'When Oujirou does something, Oujirou does it by thinking.'  
  
He intended to outwit his opponent. The Magic Circle wouldn't work against Shuuko, but most players would fall for it. Wizard had other tricks up his sleeve, should it fail.  
  
Stormrider watched carefully, but there was one spot...   
  
THERE.  
  
Wizard took the moment, and a strong kick to the jaw, one of the spots where an angel was most vulnerable, sent Stormrider tumbling back. She hadn't raised any kind of defense, and to spectators, it would seem as though he had simply appeared in front of her. Even the cameras would have a hard time catching it, Oujirou thought in satisfaction.  
  
The announcer stared in surprise for a moment as Stormrider's points went below zero before turning to Oujirou, who merely smiled. "Wizard wins!"  
  
*  
  
Oujirou sat in the waiting room, flipping through his computer files. The stats he had gathered updated automatically through a wireless web link with a program he had designed; after every match, players' abilities were automatically recalculated, and new information was input. He glanced at the live feeds of matches as well, watching the other Deuses battle. This was thrilling, more thrilling than he had believed. Pitting himself against the others wasn't that challenging yet, because none of the Deuses had been on his level, but analyzing, tactics... That had been wonderful. He could see the flaws of the other angels as clearly as he could see his own hands if he held them in front of his face. .  
  
The ranks were starting to thin, with the two-loss elimination rule, and the players he would be facing would be better soon. He looked up towards the screen just in time to see an angel be thrown from the ring, and winced, knowing that it was the second loss for that angel. She was out of the running, and her Deus had to be upset.   
  
"For someone to win, someone has to lose," he murmured. It was a sad thought.   
  
He glanced at the schedule posted on the wall. Two more matches before he came up for a fifth time. His opponent's name was finally listed and... Oujirou smiled slightly to himself. This would be interesting. Last year's fifth-place finisher in the Kansai tournament, and probably better than Tigra.   
  
  
Ginga Kaoru and Angel Yumemi, the Matriarch of Angelic Layer. Kaoru was seventy if she was a day, and Oujirou knew his brother was thrilled that the retiree had gotten into the game. Her data had been avidly studied by all of the researchers.   
  
Oujirou was relieved for another reason.   
  
All the other Deuses seemed to think he was fair game for dating, and a few of the propositions he'd received had actually made him want to hide. Kaoru had a sharp mind and a great personality, but he knew that she wouldn't hit on him, at least. Well- he hoped not.   
  
He was just about to go through Yumemi's data again when he heard a soft sniffle beside him. Looking over, he noticed a young Deus, no more than ten. Oujirou wasn't that good with children, and seeing one cry made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. The girl was holding onto an angel, the one that had just been thrown from the ring in the last match. He recoiled inside, but knew he couldn't leave her like this.   
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.   
  
She wasn't so young that she wasn't entranced by his looks; having a handsome boy pay attention to her startled her out of her crying. She blushed a bit as he gave her a concerned look. "I... I'm fine," she said, trying to brush away her tears hurriedly.   
  
He studied her for a moment, trying to decide if that would let him off, but the same conscience that had led him to intervene when Himeya and Hiroshi had started to fight. "Really? People who are fine don't cry..." He set the laptop aside after shutting it with a 'click.'   
  
The girl seemed torn about how to answer. "I shouldn't cry... It's just a game," she murmured as she cradled her doll.   
  
Oujirou considered her words. "Losing hurts..." he murmured. "I hate to lose."   
  
"You lose?" the girl asked in amazement. "I watched you fight... It's hard to believe you lose." she admitted.   
  
"Everyone has someone who is better than they are. But losing is what makes us stronger." Oujirou rose out of the chair to walk over to the girl, looking at her. "Your opponent was better than you were today, but that doesn't mean you won't be better than she is, the next time you meet." He helped her into a seat, kneeling down in front of her so he could look her directly in her eyes.   
  
"What? How?" She wondered.   
  
"You remember this... and you let it make you strong. Take this memory into the next fight, and it will guide you and your angel," he told her. His brother had told him the same thing, the first time he and Shuuko had fought seriously, and he had lost. Losing to Shuuko repeatedly was enough to make him want to scream sometimes. He had never defeated her, no matter what he tried. Still, he kept getting closer, and he knew that he was the only one who came close to giving Athena a challenge.  
  
With Wizard at his side, he would finally bring the Goddess down.   
  
Still, the girl before him was his concern right now. She held her angel lovingly and smiled at him. "Thank you, Oujirou-sama..." she said, blushing even more deeply. "I'm Kai Satami..." she said, bowing as she introduced herself. "You're wonderful. I hope I'm half as good as you are someday."   
  
It was only through sheer force of will that he kept from blushing himself at her words. "I've barely done anything yet," he returned. "I'm merely a Deus, like you."   
  
  
The girl shook her head. "No... You're more. You're going to win this..." she predicted. "And you took time to comfort me... You're wonderful."   
  
He did color at her words that time.   
  
*  
  
Another match.   
  
He sat in the chair, feeling it rise to face his opponent, Ginga Kaoru. He looked across at her, smiling as she stared back it him with cool eyes that gave away nothing of what she thought. He respected that; she would be hard to anticipate because of that. With her, it would be about her angel and skills, not about psyching out the opponent. It would be worth the fight.   
  
Oujirou nodded a bit to Kaoru, maintaining a sweet expression as she studied him. Seeing an old face behind the Angelic Layer headset was odd, but he liked it. Her face was full of character and a life well lived. He respected her for entering the arena, in a game where the average age of players was sixteen. She kept abreast of technology, and had been quoted as saying, "the day I stop being interested in the latest advances is the day I'm six feet under."   
  
Kaoru was what most people would call "a character."   
  
"Your pretty face isn't going to help you this time, boy," she said to him after a while, breaking the smile. Then she winked playfully. "I'm about half a century beyond being distracted by good looks."   
  
He laughed a bit, not at all offended by her teasing. "And your sharp tongue isn't going to distract me. So let's agree that our angels will decide?"   
  
She returned to studying him before bursting out laughing as well. "You, I like. But Yumemi won't lose to your Wizard. I've watched you fight, and I've figured out your style," she warned.   
  
"Oh?" he asked in idle curiosity. He hadn't really unleashed any of his secret moves yet, and he'd be seriously surprised if she knew them, except for the Magic Circle. He wasn't sure if he was going to use that one on her; she was known for being perceptive, and his optical illusion trick would probably fail.  
  
"You fight with your head. You're a thinker," she said. "But so am I, and I've been thinking for a lot longer than you have. So smart as you are, boy, you're still just a boy."  
  
He merely smiled in return, but inside he braced himself for a fierce fight. Kaoru was going to be one of the toughest fights he'd see on his way to Athena, he realized. Age brought wisdom, and that was something Kaoru apparently had in abundance. Along with the lack of tact her age let her get away with.  
  
"In the East corner, Deus Mihara Oujirou, Angel Wizard!" The announcer voice proclaimed, cutting through their conversation. Oujirou activated his headset and had Wizard perform his entry, even though his eyes never left Kaoru's face.   
  
"In the West corner, Deus Ginga Kaoru, Angel Yumemi!"   
  
"Weave the dreams of yesterday and today, Yumemi!" Kaoru called. She dropped her angel in nonchalantly, not bothering to strain herself by throwing it halfway across the Layer.   
  
Oujirou watched Kaoru smile as Yumemi came alive. Yumemi was a medium angel, built on equal portions of speed, agility and strength. She wore a traditional kimono complete with obi, and Oujirou knew that Kaoru habitually changed Yumemi's clothing. Her strength was from Kaoru's expert control, creativity and ability to undermine whatever the other Deus threw at her. She was adaptable; this would be a battle of the Deuses, which one was able to think the further step ahead.   
  
  
"What kind of battle will these two angels show us? Both angels are undefeated so far in this tournament!" the announcer said.   
  
The Deuses ignored his hype, waiting for him to give the signal. "Angelic FIGHT!" he yelled after adding a few of their statistics to get the crowd going.   
  
The angels remained still, neither moving as they searched the other for weakness. Oujirou knew he was faster and stronger, but she would be able to keep even with him through her endurance and agility.   
  
"We probably should begin this, Oujirou-kun," she said.   
  
"Ladies first," he replied politely.   
  
She cocked an eyebrow beneath the pink plastic. "Kind of you. Well... Shall we dance?"   
  
"Let's."   
  
On that word, both angels sprang forward into what appeared to be a carefully choreographed dance. Wizard closed the distance quickly, as Oujirou decided to test Yumemi's short-range abilities. If he could wear her down, he might be able to win on points, rather than tossing her from the Layer.   
  
Yumemi's black eyes watched carefully, and she took a guard stance, waiting to parry the blow. Wizard launched a triple series of kicks, one rising to the stomach head and falling to the chest. It was a difficult combination to avoid; parry the first, dodge the second, get hit by the third was the usual sequence most experienced Dueses decided to deal with; if they could avoid it at all. He'd taken out his fourth opponent with it.   
  
Yumemi, though, calmly accepted the first blow... which left Wizard open as he raised his leg higher to land the second.   
  
Oujirou winced as the average angel punched him. The blow only grazed Wizard, doing minimal damage, but it was enough to send him back. It was the first time he'd been hit this tournament. It was the first time Wizard had ever been hit, for that matter.   
  
"Wizard attacks, wounding Yumemi, but Yumemi's counterattack forces Wizard back! She is the first angel in the tournament to score a hit on Wizard!"   
  
Wizard did a series of flips back, trying to give Oujirou a moment to think. "I've gotten cocky," he murmured.   
  
"You have," Kaoru said. "Time to wake up!"   
  
Yumemi moved forward this time spinning around in circles with her arms out beside her. The kimono rose around her pale tanned legs, and Oujirou realized that this was some new special attack Kaoru was going to unleash on him. He followed her carefully, Wizard following into a defensive crouch. The blue angel was on guard; Yumemi was a threat. Yumemi seemed to blur before Oujirou's amazed sight as her spin gained more and more speed.  
  
'She's not a speed type...' he thought, but then realized that was exactly the point. She was spinning to gain momentum, and any of the strikes she hit would deal extra damage and even deflecting them might injure Wizard.   
  
"Yumemi launches into a twirl... I've never seen this tactic before - watch is she going to do? Will Wizard be able to stop her?" the announcer yelled into his microphone.   
  
  
Oujirou remained impassive, but inside he was applauding. 'This is a good fight,' he thought. If I can't deflect, that leaves fight or flight... But flight might let her get me. That leaves fighting...'   
  
Wizard tensed in preparation, waiting for the right moment to react. Yumemi was getting closer and closer, and her new attack was negating his speed and strength advantage. She had more hit points and could afford to make more damage... Yumemi finally arrived in striking range, and one of her feet lashed out with twice her normal speed.   
  
Wizard countered by leaping over her, trying to get on her other side, but Yumeni's kick was there on the follow through. It was only because he landed just outside of her reach that he didn't end up tossed from the Layer.   
  
"Wizard narrowly avoids Yumemi's powered-up attack! Will he be able to avoid the next one?" the announcer cried.  
  
'She's anticipating me...' he realized. A smile formed on his lips as he realized that Kaoru must have researched him as thoroughly as he had done him. It was time to play to the next level.   
  
The spiraling angel continued to build speed, her Deus watching with a blank face. Oujirou tapped his fingers against his chair, sending Wizard around in what appeared to be the beginning of the Magic Circle. "Cast your Illusions, Wizard," he murmured.   
  
"That won't work on Yumemi," Kaoru said. "I know the trick of that, and I'm waiting for it."   
  
It took an instant, a blink of the eye. Yumemi's spin was too quick for her to stop, and Oujirou had anticipated that. Wizard raced around, faster and faster until he matched her pace... and then raced forward, grabbing her arm and helping her spin faster. Kaoru had been preparing for a strike from her blind side, but Oujirou had come from the front. She had known that was possible as well, but it wasn't a blow. There had been no force behind it, and he hadn't taken any of Yumemi's hit points... rather he had unbalanced her.   
  
"Wizard uses Yumemi's own momentum against her! Oujirou-san seems fond of this tactic!"   
  
Yumeni's whirl wobbled a bit, and Kaoru's eyes narrowed in concentration as she focused on gaining her control back... but that instant was enough to let him get the edge he needed. Wizard pressed his attack, again using the three kick strike he had initially tried... but this time it connected.   
  
Oujirou heard the sound of Yumemi's hit points going down, and smiled as he realized it had been a mortal blow. The Asian angel went flying, landing in a crumbled heap across from him. Wizard stood over her like a grim angel of death, his expressionless face foreboding.   
  
"Now Wizard lands his three-kick combo, taking Yumemi into negative hitpoints! WIZARD WINS!" The announcer proclaimed.   
  
After he had been lowered to the ground and removed his headgear, he walked over to where Kaoru was still sitting in her seat. It was customary to exchange thanks for a match, and Kaoru had been a good opponent. He hoped she hadn't been offended at her defeat; according to her records, Wizard was the fourth angel to defeat Yumemi.   
  
Kaoru, though, looked up at him as he approached, a beautiful smile on her face. It made him catch his breath, and he reflected that she must have been a beautiful woman in her youth; traces of her beauty still remained in the lines of her face, and something about how she held herself. Only beautiful women ever gained that kind of confidence.   
  
"Good match, Oujirou-kun... Too bad it didn't last longer."   
  
He bowed to her in sincere admiration. "I had to take you out early, because you're too good."   
  
  
She laughed a bit. "You may be right. Well, would you be so kind as to help an old women out of her chair? I'm afraid these bones don't move as easily as they used to..."   
  
Oujirou offered her his arm, which she clung to as she maneuvered herself out of the chair. The assistants raced over to hand her Yumemi. The old woman stared down at her angel thoughtfully. "Well, I'll see you in Kansai, won't I?"   
  
He blinked. "I..."   
  
"Come now, no false modesty. Four of us will advance... You and I will be there, and I fully intend on facing you there. I've fought you now, and I know what I need to defeat you." Her dark eyes glimmered as she looked at him. "I'll even tell you, because I want you to fix it, so we can have a real match."   
  
He went cold inside, fearing that Kaoru's perceptive eyes had seen something he hadn't, recognized some flaw in him that was the reason Shuu won time and time again. "What's my problem?" he asked in a hushed voice.  
  
"You're not fighting me or my angel. You're fighting something else, some cosmic battle. Still, there's stories about people like you, Oujirou-kun. Some people walk with their eyes so focused on the heavens that they don't see the earth around them." Her hand gripped him tightly. "And those people always stumble, because they never see the roadblocks right before them."   
  
*   
  
The last three matches were easy. No one else came even close to challenging him or Wizard, and Oujirou knew that what Kaoru had warned him of was true. He wasn't playing the other players; he was playing for Shuuko. Would he encounter someone who would challenge him? Would it be Kaoru, in her wisdom, who would challenge him at Kansai? Or would someone else rise up? The thought preyed on his mind.   
  
The Kobe tournament was large enough that he didn't have to meet all the players; it was a pity, because he would have liked to fight Tigra again. Tigra was fighting more strongly, varying her attacks, and his eyes shone as he caught the end of her eighth fight. She hadn't lost any of them. He was willing to wager that she would be one of the ones advancing. Along with Kaoru, a fourth contestant, a small girl who fought with a speed-type angel named Lucifer, were his bets. He hadn't fought Lucifer, and privately thought Stormrider was the better angel, but Stormrider had encountered Tigra as her fourth match, and would place fifth. It was the luck of the draw.   
  
He lingered in the background as he watched the last of the matches, Yumemi versus a rookie. Yumemi fought brilliantly, and he realized that beating her was a triumph. Yumemi was a Championship-level angel, and defeating her on the Kobe level was a true victory. He was ready to face the battles on the next level.   
  
"Layer Out! Yumemi Wins!" The announcer declared. "And now its time to declare the ones who will represent Kobe in the Kansai Tournament!"  
  
Oujirou waited, not at all concerned. Wizard and Tigra were the only undefeated angels, so it was a foregone conclusion. He felt someone join him though, a warm presence that was at once expected and challenging.  
  
"I was wondering when you'd get here, niisan," Oujirou said idly to his older brother.   
  
Ichirou's face was uncharacteristically blank, the way it was when he was either going to be serious or was truly angry. Oujirou still hadn't learned to read his brother's moods well enough to tell which would be forthcoming.   
  
  
"Well?" The single word bespoke volumes. If Oujirou didn't answer carefully, Ichirou was going to figure some way to yank him out of the competition.  
  
"I'm going to win," Oujirou said.   
  
"You've already swept the Kobe match," Ichirou said softly. "I think you've demoralized a few of the players."  
  
"Really? Most of my competitors seemed inspired after playing me. Riira's even managed to get my e-mail address and has invited me out for a celebratory dinner," he replied. He smiled, staring up at the board, waiting for the results to be posted, even though he knew he'd be going to Kansai.   
  
"Why? Why have you suddenly decided that Angelic Layer is so important?" his brother demanded.   
  
"A part of it is to establish a male Deus as a success. Last year at the championship, there was only one male Deus, and he was ten. You need someone who can be a role model, who the girls will desire and the boys want to be." Oujirou looked over at the contestants who were milling around. "I didn't want it to be me originally, but there's no one better. I'm the only one who can fight Athena on her own terms. After this year, you'll see a drastic rise in male players..."   
  
"...and we'll get the data we need that much quicker," Ichirou continued softly. "But there's more. You don't do anything for just one reason."   
  
"Of course not," Oujirou said. "But my reasons are my own."   
  
"You won't beat Athena," Ichirou said softly. "Shuuko is unstoppable on the Layer."   
  
"I'll defeat her," Oujirou answered. "Wizard and I understand each other."   
  
"Do you? You understand Wizard better than any other angel you've fought with, but I don't think you're there yet. Athena is Shuu's other self... You won't beat her."   
  
Oujirou's eyes narrowed dangerously. He was usually quite laid back, but being told 'no' inflamed him like nothing else - with the exception of being underestimated. "I will."   
  
"Of course, you have to make it to her first... There's still the Kansai Tournament and the rest of the Championship to go. The players this year are better than they were last year, and some might have some interesting things to show you."   
  
"By the time those are done, I will be the best known player on the Layer, aside from Shuu," Oujirou vowed.   
  
"Egotistical, aren't you? Don't you know that they say 'pride comes before the fall?'" his brother murmured, stepping back into the shadow.   
  
Oujirou turned back to the ring, just in time to hear them announce him as the winner of the Kobe match. He smiled brightly at the cheers, but inside he was thinking much more serious thoughts. I'll get there, niisan... I'll defeat Shuuko... And show you how much you mean to me, he vowed to himself.   
  
All that stood between him and his goal were eight matches.   
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I made my second deadline! *pleased*  
  
  
Credits: Okay, thanks have to go to the incomparable Lyra for all the help she's been in the last few months... it won't be much longer. Also thanks to Gabi-hime, who I enjoyed speaking to on Oujirou's motivations very much, and AlanP who suggested the concept of an older player, which eventually evolved into Kaoru - I blame him for hijacking my plot. ^_~ Also thanks to Kamitra, for supplying me with the music I needed to keep moving. I'll be mailing you soon!  
  
The advancement of four players I decided arbitrarily... it looked like they took several from the Tokyo match to Kantou, so I did the same for this. Four seemed like a good number, since sixteen players will be at Kansai. Four from four local matches.  
  
Feedback would be very much appreciated. This is &*#&* piece to write. And I have two more parts to write... 


	4. Idol

Aishuu Offers:  
**Prince of the Layer**  
An Angelic Layer Prelude Fanfiction  
Disclaimer: CLAMP is Queen. I just want to play, for earlier parts.  
  
_Chapter Three: Idol_

__

* * *

Oujirou wasn't prepared for the sheer turmoil that his return to school caused after the Kobe tournament. He had become popular after the match with Tigra, but the amount of attention he received from his classmates made him want to run and hide. He had been trying to become an idol, but he hadn't been prepared for what the attention did to his daily life. It was one thing to think about the situation intellectually; it was another entirely to be confronted with it when he walked into the school.  
  
"Oujirou-sama!" one of the girls said to him who a few weeks before had been rooting for his embarrassment at the hands of Kazeni. Now she was addressing him as a superior, and he felt a bit uncomfortable with it, but he turned and gave her the sweet smile his mother told him was so misleading.  
  
"Yes?" He couldn't, for the life of him, remember the girl's name.  
  
"I made an extra lunch, and I was wondering if you would like to eat it with me?" The girl fluttered dark lashes at him.  
  
"My mother sent me something already," he told her gently. "Thank you for the offer, though," he replied. "It's kind of you." He gave her another smile, then managed to duck away, relieved he had escaped. He had lied through his teeth, of course, since his mother's cooking still showed no signs of improving and she avoided the kitchen like the plague because of it.  
  
"Getting used to it yet, Mihara-san?" a voice asked in amusement.  
  
He blinked, pasted a pleasant expression on his face, and turned to see Himeya Kazeni herself. She smiled at him with amusement, tossing her head with a bit of challenge. "Getting used to what?" he asked.  
  
"The hardest part of winning... losing your privacy." She walked closer to him, coming to stand so she was only two feet away, a distance he found invasive. "It's not just about you and the Layer. Once you're off the Layer, you're everyone's property. People want to know you, be you - or be with you." She shivered a bit. "I've gotten marriage proposals..."  
  
"You're fourteen!" Oujirou said in surprise.  
  
"Isn't it fun? I finally had a fan club organized so that they'd sort out the sickos..." She leaned in closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I suggest you do the same since Angelic Layer is primarily a female game, you're going to be getting a lot of attention and it's going to be a rough ride."  
  
"Um... I really haven't thought about it...." he admitted.  
  
"If I were you, I would!" Suzuki said, coming up next to them. "Did you see this?" she asked eagerly, waving around a copy of Angelic Layer's official magazine, _Layer Fall IN!_  
  
Oujirou looked at the glossy pink cover and blinked. "Um, no? Does it have tournament results in it or something?"  
  
"Or something," the two girls chorused together, and exchanged wicked smiles.  
  
Oujirou's stomach fell into his heels as Suzuki handed him over the glossy magazine, featuring a cover of Athena, as usual. "What page?"  
  
"48-49..." Suzuki said, and her grin, if possible, turned even more evil.  
  
He flipped to the indicated page and almost choked on his tongue in shock, even though he had been preparing himself for it. There, on a bright blue double-page spread that complimented his coloring, was a small article and large picture layout of him and Wizard underneath a large headline.  
  
_  
  
PRINCE OF THE LAYER  
  
In the female dominated world of the Layer, a new wave of male players is starting to emerge, and none shows more promise than Mihara Oujirou of Kobe, and his Angel, Wizard.  
  
Oujirou, a third-year middle school student, swept the Kobe match from no where, with only one previous win on his record. Only Yumemi scored a hit, the Angel controlled by the legendary Matriarch of the Layer, Ginga Kaoru.  
  
And he's expected to do just as well at Kantou.  
  
"Wizard has some unusual schematics," a representative of the Angelic Layer Corporation said when asked. "He's designed for speed and strength, and only an extremely talented Deus could control him. Watch for Oujirou- I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the Nationals."  
  
Wizard has used one special attacks so far, "Magic Circle" which like its name seems to be pure magic, causing the Angel to appear out of nowhere in front of a vulnerable opponent.  
  
Of the opponents Oujirou has fought, none seem to bear him any ill-will. In fact, most seem quite ready to join his fan club as soon as it forms.  
  
Tachi Riira, who went to Kansai last year, said, "He's a wonderful person. He gives advice on how to improve your skills, and I saw him in the waiting room comforting a young Deus who had lost her match and was in tears. He's every girl's dream guy."  
  
A teacher and a prince, with a magical Angel. Watch for him in Kansai next week!  
  
_  
Oujirou looked at the spread of photos after reading the article. The largest was of him with the headset on, a slight smile dancing on his lips. On the opposite page was one of Wizard, taking up the length of the page, standing coolly, probably taken after a victory. There were eight smaller candids scattered around, a few of Wizard fighting, but most were of Oujirou himself in various poses, taken through the weekend. Apparently a reporter had been following him and he hadn't realized.  
  
His stomach tightened. This had been what he wanted, but now that it was here, he felt unsettled. He hadn't realized exactly what it meant to purposely thrust himself into the spotlight. "I... I think I'm going to go home," he said. "I feel sick," he said.  
  
Himeya's expression turned concern. "Mihara-san, you can't run from this. You're a celebrity, and you're just going to keep rising higher." She gently took the magazine away from him and handed it to Suzuki so she could take his clammy hands in her own. "The best thing to do is just try to live your life normally."  
  
He took a deep breath, using it to calm himself. "Is that the voice of experience?" he asked, trying to tease her.  
  
Her voice was level as she replied. "No, Mihara-san. Where you're going, no one else has ever been. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll try, but I don't think..."  
  
"There is one thing you can do for me," he said, smiling at her.  
  
"Oh?" Her eyes lit up, and he knew that she really wanted to help him.  
  
"How do I go about getting a fan club formed?"  
  
Two days before the Kansai tournament, Oujirou was in the Piffle Princess with his laptop, gazing at the specs of the latest line. He had thought his brother wasn't going to release them until after the tournament, but apparently something had changed. As he stared at the accessories, he noted which ones were tournament legal and wondered if any of the competitors were going to try to change their styles. It would entirely throw his data off, and that meant he'd be having a more difficult time.  
  
"Dammit, niisan," he whispered. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were doing this just to make my life difficult," he swore as he rapidly typed in some configurations.  
  
Oujirou froze as his words echoed in his head, realizing that Ichirou just might have released the line early just to throw some road blocks at him. He wouldn't put it past his brother.  
  
Someone cleared their throat behind him, and Oujirou turned his head, a pleasant smile on his face and a polite rejection prepared on his tongue. Ever since that article had run in _Layer Fall IN!_ he'd been besieged by girls wanting dates or the press. The mainstream media had picked up on him for some reason he couldn't fathom, and while he wanted to bring more male players into the Layer, he wasn't particularly eager to answer questions about what his ideal girl would be like - for the umpteenth time.  
  
That had not been the point.  
  
Still, his fake smile turned into a real one of surprise when he saw the old woman standing behind him. "Hello, Ginga-san," he said, bowing politely. "It's nice to see you. Are you looking at the new line as well?"  
  
The older woman waved a hand. "Call me Kaoru. And yes, I'm here to see what's out, and see in Yumemi needs any upgrades, but I don't think anything here will work for her. Are you ready for the Kansai tournament?"  
  
"Just about." He looked down at the_ Layer Fall IN! _Issue she had clutched in her hands and blushed a bit. "I didn't think you would be into that gossip."  
  
"It's fun. Keeps me young." She gave him a grin, glancing around the Piffle Princess. "I don't suppose I can convince you to use some of the points you won to treat me to a latte, can I?"  
  
He was curious what she wanted to talk about, because there was obviously something on her mind. "Sure. I'm always up for dating such a fascinating woman."  
  
Kaoru laughed brightly at that. "If I was fifty years younger, I'd take you seriously and make you marry me. You're way too charming to leave unattached."  
  
Oujirou offered her his arm. "If you were twenty years younger, I would whisk you off your feet, and damn what others would say," he told her. He liked her attitude and spunk. He hoped that he had even half her zest when he reached her age.  
  
After placing their orders, she turned her attention to him. "Have you thought on what I told you?" she asked. Her fingers tapped a cadence on the table top as her curious eyes assessed him.  
  
"Of course," he replied. "I'd be an idiot not to."  
  
"And?"  
  
He wondered what she wanted from him. There was something about her that challenged him, the same way he challenged his other opponents to get better after each fight. It wasn't rude of her being condensing; it was a genuine desire for a rival who performed to their fullest. "I... everything I do is a step toward my goal."  
  
Some of the light faded from her eyes. "Heaven is a place on Earth, Ouji-sama...." she whispered softly. "For those who chose to see what's in front of them."  
  
He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, glad for the distraction of the waitress who chose that moment to bring their drinks. He took a deep sip of his soda, and allowed the sweetness to settle on his tongue."My brother tells me to 'dream big.'" He smiled a bit, thinking of Ichirou. "He always fulfills his goals, and I'm going to do the same."  
  
"They say 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' You're running so hard you seem to forget that. If you trip, what will you do?"  
  
"I won't trip," he said.  
  
"I wonder," she said softly to herself, but his quick ears caught her murmur. "Your family is certainly known for its achievements, isn't it?" she asked directly.  
  
He stared at her, raising an eyebrow with amusement. He had been expecting someone to connect his family name with that of the creator of Angelic Layer, and it was no surprise that the clever Kaoru was the first to confront him on it. "I do have a rather distinguished older brother," he admitted.  
  
"I rather thought so," she said. "You've been playing for a while, haven't you?" she asked, taking a long pull on her root beer float, smiling as it made slurping sounds.  
  
"Let's just say that you can call me 'senpai,'" Oujirou replied. He didn't want to admit how long he had been playing, and tweaking her struck him as fun.  
  
"Experience sometimes gets in the way," she said. Then she gave him a wicked grin before standing up slowly and straightening her shirt. "I'll be seeing you this weekend," Kaoru said. "I think you'll be unpleasantly surprised."  
  
He tilted his head charmingly, but the hard look on his face made her breath catch with anticipation. "If I can't beat you, Kaoru-san, than I have no right to face Athena."  
  
It was a cloudy day on the day of the tournament. The Kansai match fell on a Saturday, and he had to take a half day for travel and registration. The actual fights wouldn't begin until 5 p.m., which was arranged so they could be televised. It was the first time these matches were going to be carried on a live broadcast, and he wasn't too happy about that.  
  
He still had people coming up to him with copies of that blasted article, and he was starting to get an eyebrow twitch whenever anyone said "oujisama," which girls seemed inclined to call him. Needless to say, he felt decidedly on edge.  
  
This tournament would be harder than the Kyoto one, but he knew he could win it. He had been practicing, and he had studied the sixteen Angels who would be entering as well.  
  
He stared around at the people, impressed at the crowd. No one seemed to have recognized him, and he smiled in relief as he went through to the waiting room after passing through registration relatively unscathed. As he walked in, a group of girls stopped talking to stare at him.  
  
"It's the newbie," one of them said in a hard voice.  
  
Her face was familiar enough from the profiles he had compiled to know her name was Fujita An, and her Angel was Calliope. She had made it to Nationals last year, being knocked out at the quarter finals by Athena. He wasn't sure what to do about her hostility.  
  
He decided to handle it the way his mother always told him to - by trying to make friends of his enemies. He smiled at her and held out his hand. "I'm Mihara Oujirou," he said to introduce himself.  
  
"I know who you are," Fujita replied. She didn't take his hand, leaving him to have to awkwardly pull it back.  
  
"Can it, An," a sharp voice said. Himeya Kazeni walked into the room, cradling her Angel. Suzuki Azami was at her side, as always, and neither one seemed to be particularly happy at Fujita's rudeness. "If you have a problem with Mihara-san, take it out on the Layer. That's if Calliope can get her hands on Wizard - which I doubt."  
  
Quite a turnabout from their first meeting, Oujirou thought as he studied Himeya's fiercely angry profile, a bit amused in spite of himself. "It's fine, Himeya-san," he told her.  
  
Fujita and Himeya both turned and glared at him, but it was Suzuki who spoke. "Mihara-san, don't interfere," she said, her voice sharp. He stepped back a bit to get out of the way of the catfight, watching the continued fireworks.  
  
"So your trusty sidekick is here again. Won't help you anymore than last time... I'm going to go to Nationals again," Fujita pronounced.  
  
Himeya's eyebrow twitched, and her face began to turn red. "Over my dead body."  
  
"That can be arranged - or, at least, over Tigra's."  
  
Threatening someone else's Angel was taboo, and Oujirou wasn't surprised when Himeya stepped closer, her eyes flashing dangerously. He was trying to decide how to defuse the situation when the door open again  
  
"Are you kids up to something?" Ginga Kaoru asked, coming into the room. The two combatants pulled back, blushing a bit in embarrassment. Kaoru wore a look of amusement, but her words had the effect of dousing tempers like a splash of ice water. Kaoru was well aware of that, but turned to talk to Oujirou as though no one else was in the room. "Hello, Ouji-sama."  
  
Everyone looked at Oujirou, a bit surprised as he started to blush. He did _not_ like that nickname. "Kaoru-san. How are you today?"  
  
"Fine. I'll be better when I win, though." She winked at him. "Yumemi and I are all ready... are you?"  
  
He decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and chose not to give her a verbal answer. Instead he merely smiled, and looked at the clock. Half an hour until the tournament. The others followed where his gaze went, and a few broke away, cradling their Angels as they went to do whatever private meditations were their ritual.  
  
Kaoru gripped his arm, tugging him over to a seat and pulling him down beside her. "Welcome to the politics of the Layer, Ouji-sama," Kaoru said with a sigh, glancing at where Himeya stood, obviously fuming. "No one here is your friend for long."  
  
"Even you?" Oujirou asked.  
  
"I'm your rival," she said with a wink. "Himeya is very nice, but if you get between her and Fujita, you're going to get hurt."  
  
He sighed a bit. Oujirou hadn't wanted to get involved in any of the feuding that he knew would come with such a competitive game, but it seemed inevitable. "Everything in life is about politics."  
  
Kaoru was amused at him, smirking a bit. "Apparently there's a mind behind that pretty face. No, Ouji-sama, there's plenty of political machinations to this game. It's head games, and the one who keeps their cool longest has a definite advantage."  
  
His hands went to the carrier and removed Wizard, holding the tiny Angel with a care that bordered on reverent. "It should just be about skill, but life is never like that."  
  
"No... it's not."  
  
Over the speakers, a pleasant-sounding female voice came. "Will all competitors please line up with their Angels to be escorted to the arena?"  
  
Oujirou rose to his feet, turning to offer Kaoru a hand, which she brushed aside with a friendly shake of her head. "I'm old, but I can move on my own," she said stubbornly.  
  
He sighed. He would have offered his hand to anyone. The group moved towards the arena, and he twitched a bit when he heard the roar of the crowd. The amount of people out there were staggering, and he blinked a little as he stepped under the bright lights of the arena.  
  
The group filed around the ring, and Oujirou's eyes took a while to accustom to the illumination. The Deuses took their time, making a ring around the Layer, facing the crowd.  
  
"We've gathered the brightest talent in the region for the Second Annual Kansai Tournament!" The announcer said, waving a hand over the contenders. "Just two will advance to the finals on the National level!"  
  
The crowd cheered, and Oujirou heard them screaming the names of their favorite Angels and Deuses. His name rang through more than his fair share of the crowd, and he tried hard to remain calm. A fluttery feeling danced in his stomach as he was washed away in the excitement.  
  
On some unknown signal, the Deus down picked up a headset which was sitting near her and clicked it on. Holding up her Angel, she turned to the ring, before yelling, "Sent by the Heavens, take them by storm, Kamikaze! Angel, fall in!"  
  
Then a graceful Angel dressed in white with long silver hair flew through the air, coming to life as she hit the field of the Layer. The crowd cheered, but even as the Angel was straightening, the person immediately on Oujirou's left was putting on her headset.  
  
It was a beautiful spectacle, with each Angel a touch different than the last. Wizard was the only male Angel, but the road of the crowd was even louder for him as he brushed his fingers against the Layer's floor.  
  
It took about five minutes for everyone to assemble, and when they finished, the crowd went crazy. It was another ten minutes before everyone was allowed to depart to check out how the random lottery had slated them. Oujirou somehow wasn't surprised that his match was last in the first round. He would be fighting Kitsune, an Angel which was as new to the event as Wizard. Together the group of Deuses bowed to the audience before exited in a single-file line and returning to the waiting area. Then the worst part began - the waiting.  
  
Two by two they went, like lambs to a slaughter. The preliminary round would feature matches played back to back, and none of them dared go join the audience to watch live. Instead, they watched the fights play out on the monitor which had been provided. It wasn't an actual live broadcast, and there was no sound, so they all were able to make their own judgements.  
  
The Angels fighting were all champions in their own rights, and the battles were a pleasure to watch. Oujirou sat in a chair, cradling Wizard loosely in his hand as he analyzed his future opponents. He could see the skill they had, but for every attack, every counter, he imagined it was Wizard who responded, and was satisfied that Wizard would win.  
  
Himeya fought third, and he was satisfied with her improvement. Tigra moved more smoothly, and the fluidness of her transitions between attack and nearly flawless defense made Oujirou consider if he would be facing her in the final round. He would appreciate the rematch, if that happened.  
  
Kaoru's match, which was after that, was one which made him hold his breath. Yumemi seemed to dance on air, and the Angel who was pitted against her was a pitiful spectacle as Yumemi avoided any attempt to attack, responding with a brutal hit in retaliation. The fight was short, and when Yumemi won, he felt his heart skip a beat.  
  
She was in his bracket; he would be facing he next if he won his own battle.  
  
The rest of the matches passed in a blur, and finally his own name was called. It was almost a relief to be entering the arena, and he felt himself smile as girls shrieked his name. One was yelling that he had to marry her, which frightened him a bit. He didn't know how to deal with fans. Glancing back at the entryway, wondering if Kaoru was watching, his breath caught. For a second, he saw the shadow of a white lab coat before the light shifted.  
  
The Layer stood in silent challenge. The feel of Wizard in his hand was reassuring, like the touch of a close friend.  
  
The seat he took was ornate, but surprisingly comfortable. Across from him, a Deus about two years younger than he was mirrored his actions, her own Angel resting on the seat in front of her.  
  
"Watch me, aniki," he whispered, and then clicked the headset on.  
  
END PART THREE


End file.
